Contributors

Introduction

The purpose of this site is to share progress on the N Scale Model Railroad Layout that is being built in my basement with the help of some great friends and model railroaders. Comments on techniques we're using are welcome as are questions and critiques.

Monday, December 20, 2010

With the help of layout master plumber / chief carpenter Mark Andersen, fascia installation has begun. Mark has built one each of almost everything in his career so is an excellent source for suggesting material and techniques.

We had used Masonite (C) on the previous layout but wanted something more flexible. Mark suggested using 1/4" bending poplar which is sometimes used to wrap around exposed pipes to create a more finished appearance.

Here, Mark is constructing installation points out of 1 x 2 ' s.

Here's a shot of the first installed section. The poplar is plenty flexible.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

We are continuing to make good progress, including quite a bit of recent work at the "top of the hill".

Here Bernie and JB wrestle the turnback section into final position. The section was built at the workbench, allowing wiring and switch machines to be installed without working underneath the layout.

The hole that JB is "testing" allows emergency access to a turnout at the back of the section.

We have also been working on scenery in this location, including finally getting track painted in preparation for ballast, backdrop painting, planting trees, and preparing for the first layer of scenic material representing the open fields just north of the railroad at the east portals.

We used to attach the clusters with hot glue but now use clear plumbing caulk. The caulk doesn't leave strings of glue on the scenery or burn marks on the crew. It is tacky enough to hold the clusters, even on our steep slopes. The caulk is spread on the paper about a square foot (one scale "acre") at a time. The clusters are pre-shredded (a great job to do while watching baseball) and the caulk remains tacky long enough to fill in the acre before it sets up.

Here's Mark planting away above MG tower.

One of the advantages of the plywood / cardboard / paper structure is that it is very easy to make changes. We already have done so in two spots on the layout. Each time it only took an hour or so.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Like most fallen flags, the Pennsy has a historical society dedicated to preserving the heritage of this great railroad. This year's annual meeting was held in Harrisburg, PA, home of the Rockville Bridge (still carrying trains across the Susquehanna).

The meeting was an opportunity to see old friends, listen to great presentations about fascinating aspects of the railroad, admire great models, do some shopping and share ideas.

Here's a great rendition of Pennsy's four-bay H21 hopper, with the angle reinforcement along the top chord. My fleet of H21s needs this treatment for about 2/3 of the cars, an easy modification to Bowser's model. It was great to see exactly how it is done.

The Capital PenNScalers NTRAK Group set up some of their modules and ran PRR trains (plus others) all weekend. I learned the keys to successful operation of Con-Cor's nifty Aero Train: check wheel gauge carefully and add weight to each car.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

On April 11, John Drye, Brian Brendel, Jake Brendel and Bernard Kempinski were in Altoona to see Steven Strassberg, the $15M man pitch for the Harrisburg Senators. While they were there, they did some railfanning on the PRR Horseshoe Curve, demolished several buffets and generally had a good time. This film clip covers some of the highlights, except for Jake's lost Peanut.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

One thing the layout needs in large numbers (besides coal hoppers) is trees. Fortunately, N Scalers in Northern Virginia have developed a great way to represent the lush green foliage of the Alleghenies in spring and summer.

Woodland Scenics Foliage Clusters are the key. First step is to spend several evenings in front of the TV tearing the clusters into N scale treetops. Roughly-shaped spheroids (think a fuzzy green football) about 1" to 2" across are about right.

There are several means of attaching the clusters to the mountainside. I used to use hot glue but have found that clear caulk is easier to work with. It doesn't get hot or leave strings behind. Spread about a square foot's worth of caulk and attach the foam. The caulk is sufficiently tacky that the "trees" will stay on even an almost vertical surface. If not, hot glue is a backup method.

The first couple acres of forest have been planted near Horseshoe Curve. Many more are on the way.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Over the past few weeks, we have made quite a bit of progress on preparations for actually making scenery. If you squint a bit, you can almost see what the finished layout might look like. We ought to be doing things such as detailing the roadbed, spreading ballast, and planting trees on the mountainsides in the next few months.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The first train on the layout was a hopper train on Track #4, with engineer Leonard White, one of the regular crew, at the controls; May 20, 2009. With some scenery installed, this view is no longer possible. It does demonstrate one of the layout design objectives: that is to have trains long enough to go completely around the curve. It takes about thirty 40-foot freight cars.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

One of the advantages of building a Horseshoe Curve Layout is that the location is so well documented. Of course, that doesn't prevent dedicated modelers from paying a visit (the curve is about 3 hours from home). Here, Jake Brendel helps record the current state of downtown Altoona.

Here are a couple of shots of the early benchwork. The layout plumber and carpenter is Mark Andersen. Although he usually models in a larger scale, he managed to find some 1/160 lumber and has done a superb job of keeping the roadbed straight and level. Well, except for the curves and grades.

The first shot is the benchwork for West Altoona, from Slope to Brickyard Corner. The second is Horseshoe Curve. Both shots from early 2009.

Here is the layout space in its brief incarnation as a rec room. The room was built with lots of overhead lighting and a soft tile floor. Bernie's comment was "enough light for an operating room". That ought to do.

This site is currently very much under construction. I hope to add photos and commentary on how we got to where we are currently over the next couple of weeks and then keep the site current as we complete the layout.

This video shows the Broadway Limited in two different scenes. In the first it passes a freight train on the westbound up hill slope. The second scene shows an eastbound Broadway Limited passing through MG Interlocking.

Table of Contents

Layout Design

Construction Techniques

Layout "Modules"

Creating the Allegheney Mountains in miniature

Links

Layout Design

This is the original sketch for the layout design. Inspiration came from a number of noted designers, especially the late Matt Schaefer, and including Bernie Kempinski, Marty McGuirk and Paul Dolkos. Any errors in the execution of thier ideas are my own.

The layout represents the Pennsylvania Railroad as it was in the mid-1950s. There is still some steam on mainline trains but diesels are definitely taking charge.

Passenger service is still viable and the railroad is still running its "Blue Ribbon Fleet" of first-class passenger trains.

However, the Pennsy makes its money with coal and steel, hauling tons of coal and iron ore to the mills in Pttsburgh and all over the state, then hauling the output to industries all over the nation, as it has done for over 100 years.

The "Standard Railroad of the World" is traditional, but the railroad is showing some signs of innovation. In 1954, the PRR introduces TrucTrain service, hauling trailers on dedicated flatcars. GM also has introduced the innovative AeroTrain, essentially bus bodies on rails. It remains to be seen which of these ideas will last.

The layout includes the PRR mainline from "Works" in downtown Altoona, past ALTO and SLOPE Towers, to the "Brickyard", and up the hill to the curve itself. The line continues past MG tower and the four-track interlocking, around McGinley's curve to the three tunnels at the top of the hill. The eastbound and westbound main lines seperate to create room for the helper turnback loop in Gallitzin. The lines re-join in Cresson and continue downhill towards Johnstown and the west.

Layout "Modules"

Here's a picture of one of the layout "Module" sections under construction. Modules are complex sections of the layout: a four-track interlocking at MG tower, for example.

The advantage of building Modules is that they can be wired without standing on your head. The switch machines were installed by Edd Braithwood, a fellow NTRAKer who now lives in West Virginia. He was able to take the Module home and work at his convenience. Here, Jeff Peck completes the wiring.

Once complete, the Modules are installed on the layout and track is connected. A gap of about 18" was left to ensure the the curved connecting track would flow smoothly.

Cresson Module

Here's a shot of the Cresson Module with Leonard White, the layouts' first engineer and one of the regular crew.

The Slide

Here's another shot of Leonard, with an easbound on #3 track and "The Slide" barely visible behind the reefers.

Creating the Allegheny Mountains in miniature

The Pennsylvania Railroad uses Horseshoe Curve to help with the climb to the top of the Allegheny Mountains in Central Pennsylvania. The railroad climbs over 1000 feet in the space of just over 10 miles, with the curve about a third of the way up.

Representing these mountains took some doing, even in 1/160 scale. We started by using sheets of 1/2" plywood to construct the mountain profile.

The general mountain profile is built from 1/2" plywood.

After the contours are installed, a grid made from interwoven cardboard strips creates the profile of the terrain. The cardboard is cut in 2" strips and stapled and glued together.

The cardboard grid creates the terrain contours.

Finally, heavy construction paper is glued over the grid to form the base for the scenery. The paper is first crumpled so it can easily conform to the contours and is attached with hot glue.

Here is a section of mountain scenery just below the Curve. Paint, and trees are next.

Links

This layout would not be where it is without the help of some great people and organizations. Here is a partial list and some links:

The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society

Source for all things Pennsy. The society encourages preservation of technical and practical information concerning the PRR.

The world's largest NTRAK Modular Railroading club, NVNTRAK was the inspiration for my getting out of the model railroading armchair about 15 years ago. A dozen modules and four layouts later, the group continues to provide friendship, advice and great times.